Similar

Without explanation, Frightened Rabbit has just abruptly left Beauty Bar’s stage, and the dangerously inebriated woman standing next to me is pissed—or at least she’s pretending to be. In 15 minutes she’ll admit to me she doesn’t even know the name of this indie band from Scotland (Someone told her it was The Cold?), but for now she’s screaming in the direction of the band’s exit. “What is this—halftime!? The first band played longer!”

Meanwhile the real Rabbit fans, who largely seemed to be enjoying the set despite technical difficulties plaguing the band’s levels and abilities to hear themselves, are chanting enthusiastically in hopes the band will return. Everything sounded fine to them, apparently, and they want more than 11 songs and a hasty departure. They want, at the very least, the 14 planned songs and a proper climax. Nobody likes a bunch of pissed off mates simply walking off stage.

But sadly there is no response to the fans’ shouts—just the lights turned up, the house music turned on and eventually a voice over a loudspeaker warning folks to buy merch and vacate the outdoor patio within five minutes. It’s the kind of disappointing ending that puts a damper on an otherwise decent evening, but there is a little vindication for the fans. That comes later, via Twitter and my concert companion.

@FRabbits: Hey all you vegasites. Please accept our apologies for the rather swift exit. We had some real issues up there tonight. Thanks xx.

@richmcoleman: @FRabbits an on-stage apology would have been nice rather than a twitter apology.

@FRabbits: @richmcoleman I know. We all felt pretty embarrassed about the whole thing. That's no excuse of course but we are genuinely sorry.